New Year’s resolutions: harmful or helpful?

We have all heard the phrase ‘new year, new me,’ but the big question is, after a list of resolutions, are you really a new person? Without a doubt, the concept of New Years is arbitrary; time is an agreement and the date of the New Year is different from culture to culture, but So the questions stands: is the New Year and the resolutions helpful or just counterproductive?

Pros

The new year has arrived, and with the new year always comes new resolutions. Every year, many people make the new year a time to set goals. New Year resolutions are a perfect way to set these goals and,in a way, give people a reason to become a better version of themselves. A New Year resolution, for example, could be starting to go to the gym, losing ten pounds, lowering your intake of unhealthy foods, finally getting a job, ect. These resolutions give people something to strive for. Then, the New Year resolution becomes a habit, and not just a desire. New Year resolutions also gives people the chance to truly reflect on their lives. It gives the chance to truly ask, ‘Am I living my life to the fullest?’ Even though there are some people that do not stick with their resolutions, the idea of truly evaluating your life and the choices made is an important part of one’s growth and understanding the need for change is the first step. People are not going to change in a matter of two days though; it is going to take time and persistence to truly develop the ‘you’ that you want to be. Stick with your New Year Resolutions, because they will only help you and help you work towards your long term goals.

Cons

While for some, the start of the new year may be the fresh start they need to achieve the things they have been dreaming of, but for others it encourages procrastination. If you are someone who tends to put things off, then the idea of New Year’s resolutions may give you an excuse to put off your goals until the new year. Sophomore Sierra Steckle said, “I’ve never really stuck with my New Year Resolutions.” The start of the new year does not necessarily mean that your going to wake up on Jan. 1, 2018 a completely new person, and most likely you are not going to spring into lasting action right away. It takes time, and this is why you should be working towards your goals all year. So if you think of something you want to work towards in the middle of November, do not wait until Jan. 1 to start. In addition, setting New Year’s resolutions can be hard to achieve. A lot of this probably comes from not setting realistic goals or having the right plan of action. In fact, only eight percent of people achieve their resolutions, which only proves how hard it is to set goals and actually go through: here is some advice.

First of all, set realistic goals. If you set too many or goals that are too difficult to achieve, then you will get disappointed when you will not be able to finish them. It is okay if you want to achieve a lot, but take it a little at a time. And don’t set too high of expectations for yourself.

Second, set goals with other people. Want to lose weight? Start going to the gym with a friend. Want to get better grades? Start studying with friends. If you have someone to hold you accountable, then you are more likely to accomplish things.

Finally, have fun with it. If you do not achieve everything you want, try not to beat yourself up. This will only discourage you. People tend to overestimate what they can do in a year and underestimate what they can do in many years or even a decade.

The new year is here, but is there a new you? Every new year, resolutions and goals are put into place. It is up to you to decide what the new year means to you.